1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical equipment bays of the type used to support telephone communications equipment within telephone service central offices, and more specifically, to a universal mounting plate for supporting a variety of fuse blocks to an electrical equipment bay frame.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Within telephone service central offices, telephone communications equipment is often supported within bay frame racks. Each of said bay frame racks includes a pair of vertically-oriented standards having holes drilled therein in order to secure mounting plates thereto. Electrical components are installed upon such mounting plates and are interconnected by related wiring to form equipment panels.
One type of such an equipment rack is a maintenance connector bay used for central office testing. Such maintenance connector bays are supplied with fuse panels to provide protection against electrical overload conditions. Such fuse panels have included a variety of fuse blocks adapted to receive replaceable fuses. One type of fuse block in common use is a Model 23A fuse block, commercially available from Western Electric/AT&T, providing eight positions for Type 70 fuses. Another type of fuse block in common use is a Model 22A fuse block commercially available from Western Electric/AT&T, providing 16 positions for Type 70 fuses.
A variety of different fuse panels have been sold in the past making use of one or more of the aforementioned types of fuse blocks. The number and type of fuse blocks which have been used in each instance depends in part upon the capacity of the maintenance connector in which the fuse panel is being installed. Moreover, in some instances, such fuse panels are subdivided into two batteries (battery A and battery B) with separate power and ground connections to each such battery. In such instances, separate ground bus bars extend through the mounting plate for each such fuse panel.
In some instances, mounting plates for such fuse blocks have been designed wherein two consecutive fuse blocks have been positioned relatively close together. In other instances, it is preferred that consecutive fuse blocks be spaced apart from one another somewhat in order to facillitate the connection of wires thereto.
As a result of the foregoing, manufacturers of fuse panels of the type described above have been forced to produce and use a number of different custom designed mounting plates to support the various types and combinations of fuse blocks in order to supply the various types of fuse panels demanded in the industry. Apart from the inconvenience of maintaining an inventory of a great number of differently configured mounting plates, the cost of producing such a variety of mounting plates is considerable.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a universal fuse panel mounting plate adapted to support one or multiple 8-pin fuse blocks to an electrical equipment bay frame.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a universal mounting plate for mounting single or dual 16-pin fuse blocks to an electrical equipment bay frame.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a universal mounting plate to which both 8-pin and 16-pin fuse blocks may be secured in combination with one another.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a universal mounting plate which provides for the shifting of the location of a particular fuse block as between one assembled fuse panel and another.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide such a universal mounting plate which permits consecutive fuse blocks to be positioned adjacent to one another or spaced apart from one another.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art as the description of the present invention proceeds.